DxOMark site content can be reproduced for professional use, limited as defined by the DxOMark Conditions of Use (“Fair Use”).

DxOMark is constantly looking for opportunities to partner with the media, including print publications, specialized websites, and blogs. If your website/publication is relevant to the world of digital photography, mobile devices, or imagery, and you would specifically like to publish DxOMark data, please contact us.

Apple New iPad

Overview

Sleek. Sexy. Stunning. These are just a few of the thousands of adjectives showered upon Apple’s new iPad 3 by journalists, critics, and consumers. But these aren’t necessarily the adjectives you’d use to describe the device’s image and video quality.

For starters, the Apple tablet doesn’t include a flash, making it a real show stopper in dark conditions. The mobile further struggles in low lighting with strong noise, and a number of color defects like color shading and color casting. Additionally, its autofocus can be stubbornly unreliable and works best using trigger mode. The New iPad’s video also struggled, especially for its stabilization, where it produced obvious jello effects; and in low lighting, its stabilization seemed to disappear completely.

However, the New iPad had a number of strengths, including its ability to produce nicely colored and well balanced photos in outdoor conditions. It also had nice detail preservation in strong indoor and outdoor lighting. The device was also aided by its good video exposure and color quality.